Borrowed time
by GuardianSoulBlade
Summary: Dedicated to TheDudeLordOfFantasy. They say you can't change the past, but when Warp brings John and Mary Grayson to the future, the Titans discover Robin's hiding something, a dark secret that may soon come to light. Slade has plans for his parents...
1. Prologue: To Change the Past

**Barrowed Time **

_John and Mary Grayson are sucked into the future by Warp, they arrive in __Jump_ _City__; trying to make sense of it all when they meet the Titans. Robin's been keeping a dark secret that may be brought to light soon as Slade has plans for an unsuspecting husband and wife… _

_Ha Ha! Lot's of people do fics where the children of the Titans come back to the past, but nobody's done one where one of the Titan's parents come to the future! Ha, I'm finally coming up with pure genius here! _

**_Quick Sticky: _**

_Italics: present  
__'': thoughts _

Normal font: past

This is only for the first chapter. The rest of the story will be as follows:

_Italics: past  
__'': thoughts_

_

* * *

_

**Prologue: To Change the Past **

_"Do you know what you must do, Warp?" Slade's voice echoed through the dark room. _

_"Yes," was Warp's solemn reply as he waited for further instruction. _

_"What is your objective?" Slade demanded. _

_"To eliminate the one who is in our present time known as Robin of the Teen Titans," Warp replied. _

_"Good, my friend. Remember, he calls himself Richard 'Dick' Grayson, and today's his birthday." Slade smiled. "When this is over, the Teen Titans as we know them will never exist." _

_"I will not forget, Sir." _

_Warp opened a portal and stepped through, vanishing completely. "So far, everything is going as planned." Slade grinned behind his mask and his one eye gleamed in the darkness._

_

* * *

_

**_Monday, March 20th, 1999_**

It was a warm, sunshiny day in Gotham City where the Grayson family, known to the rest of the world as the Flying Graysons; were going about their day preparing for a very special occasion: Dick Grayson's birthday.

Mary Grayson smiled broadly. Today was a happy occasion, she loved her son more than anyone in the world, besides her husband John, she reminded herself, he was her only child, and she loved to spoil him as much as she could. Not that the Graysons were rich, they were circus acrobats.

They were upper middle class, making about 40,000 dollars a year, and 3,000 a month with their work. After paying bills however, it seemed like they had little left over. Still, Mary couldn't help but spoil her sweet son Richard 'Dick' Grayson. It was his birthday, after all.

"Mom, are you alright?" Dick Grayson walked into the room. Looking up, Mary smiled.

"Of course I am, Little Robin," Mary replied using the nickname she had given him since he was five. "I'm just thinking about you."

"Do you always think about me, Mom?" Dick asked playfully.

"Of course Dick; besides, it's your Birthday, whether you remember it or not," Mary wrapped her son in a firm hug.

"Mom, you're squishing me!" Dick protested loudly. Mary could only smile at him. He pulled away and she stared at him intently.

"Well I'm sorry about that," she said looking at him. "You better go on, practice starts in a few minutes. Show's tomorrow, you know." She pushed him lightly towards the door.

Dick Grayson ran out into the arena to begin practicing their performance routine. Mary quietly followed him into the arena, deep in thought as they practiced their stunts. Finishing up, they washed themselves and prepared to eat dinner.

Finishing their meal, Mary Grayson removed a small package from beneath the table. "Son, this is for you. It's not exactly a normal present, though."

"What?" Dick asked, "You didn't get me what I wanted?"

"Maybe we did get you what you wanted," Mary said coyly. "But I wanted you to have this." Dick gingerly opened the package. He looked at it with a slight frown on his face.

"Mom, you bought me a diary?" he asked, puzzled.

"_Journal_, honey, it's a _journal_," Mary gently corrected.

"Now, Dick, this is for you," his father John Grayson grinned widely. "Open it."

Dick opened it, "Wow, a MP3 Player!" He looked up at his father, beaming. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, son," John laughed. He ruffled his son's dark, jet black hair. He was very much like his father, in looks mostly. But he swore Dick was a carbon copy of his mother. His temperament, his personality, his emotions, all came mainly from his mother.

Mary grinned, "Hey, what about a picture? We should take one right?" John looked at her.

"Yeah, of course," he went and grabbed a camera." He pulled out the camera. "Hey, Pops, Pops Haley, can you take a picture of us for Dick here?"

Haley happily complied and took the photo and smiled. "Always glad to help some old friends."

"Thanks," John replied. "It's been a good day, hasn't it?"

"It's been the greatest day of my life," Dick smiled. "Mom, Dad, you're the greatest." He hugged them both tightly, he never wanted to let go."

"Easy little Robin, you're crushing me!" Mary laughed. Life was good, and it always would be.

_

* * *

_

_Dick Grayson silently stared down at the faded photograph. He had been nine years old then. He had been a happy child with a wonderful family. Life had been good then, but that life was all gone now. Dick Grayson, known to his friends as Robin, stood in the secret room down in the basement of __Titans_ _Tower__. He was staring at old posters, pictures and keepsakes of his old life. The life he left behind seven years ago. _

_Today had been a long, hard day for him. On the outside, he appeared to be the calm, collected leader of the Teen Titans, but on the inside he was secretly counting down the hours to when the day would end. It was the first day of spring, but unknown to his friends it was also his birthday. He hated his birthday. He had a reason, and it was this: His parents had died the day after. A day of celebration followed by a day of mourning; he hated it and hated himself because he couldn't save them. _

_He knelt before two lit candles and sighed. "I'm sorry, Mom, Dad. I couldn't save you." _

_He prepared to leave the room, blowing out the small candles he had lit in their memory. Slipping the mask back over his eyes, Robin, Dick Grayson, gave one last glance back at the old faded poster of the Flying Graysons, and left the room without a word. _

_He made his way up the stairs as stealthily as possible, not wanting the others to know where he was. He didn't want them to discover **that **life; the life he had left behind. He wanted to forget, forget that it had even happened, but for some strange reason, he just couldn't let go of it. _

_He wasn't Dick Grayson anymore, he reminded himself. He was Robin, leader of the Teen Titans, vigilante and protector of __Jump_ _City__. He didn't have that life anymore, his dreams that he had were gone. Gone with his parents lives, gone with the snap of a high wire; he sighed, trying to suppress these feelings of sadness. His friends didn't need to see him like this. _

_He climbed out a window and using his grappling hook, he climbed up to his room. _

_"Robin, are you in there?" Starfire's voice asked, staring at the door outside Robin's room. She could see the light gleaming from the inside of his room. She hesitantly knocked again. This time the door opened and Robin stood before her. If she could see his eyes she would have been shocked at the redness of them, and the sad, exhausted, grief filled look in them. But she could not, so she did not know his true emotional state, she only knew that he looked disturbed, but she didn't know why. _

_"Friend Robin, you seem…" she tried to think of a good word, "tired." _

_"Maybe I am, Star," Robin said quietly. "Maybe I am." _

_"Thinking about Slade?" she asked. That was all he thought about, at least, that's what he implied. But that was far from all he thought about. And today, he was thinking about his parents, and how his life could have been different. Life was far from fair, and life was far from good…_

_

* * *

_

John, Mary and Dick had all decided to take a walk, away from Haley Circus, in an attempt to relax before the big show that weekend. They had walked for a few hours, before turning around to head back. Without warning, a man stepped out from the shadows.

"Are you Richard Grayson?" the man asked.

"Hey, wait a minute Mister, why's my boy so important?" John asked, stepping between Dick and the stranger. He had an evil look about him and what John saw, he didn't like.

"Doesn't matter now," the man said, raising a laser gun at the frightened, wide eyed boy. His mother suddenly knocked him out of the way as the man fired. Warp smirked at him. "And here I thought he was the 'Fearless Leader. He's nothing but a frightened little coward. Finishing him off will be easy." John moved to shield his boy from the gun. Warp prepared to pull the trigger.

"Happy birthday, Robin," the man smirked. John stared. Who was he and how did this man know it was his son's birthday? Mary stared, how did this man know her son's private nickname she had given him?

"Dick, run, get out of here!" she ordered the frightened boy. But Dick simply stood, unable to move, Mary pushed him away as hard as she could and he finally snapped back to reality. He did as he was told and ran back to Haley Circus as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Stupid fools," Warp growled. "You can't stop me! And even if you do, you won't be able to escape your fate."

"What's that supposed to mean?" John snarled a reply. Mary had had enough of this strangely dressed man with his strange weapons. Without warning she pounced on him, her fists flying in his face. Warp was blocking as much as he could.

"I will accomplish my mission here, and the Teen Titans will be no more!" Mary paused for a split second, throttling him.

"Who?" she asked; "Who are these Teen Titans?"

"Doesn't matter lady," he spat back sarcastically. Mary smashed a closed fist into his face.

"Tell me who these Titans are!" she demanded.

"Too bad, you won't be around to see it," Warp suddenly threw her off. John tackled him to the ground and tried to keep him pinned, but Warp decided that his mission would have to be abandoned. _'Blast his parents, they've ruined it!'_ he thought. _'Slade will have my head for sure!'_

His hands reached for the device that would open the portal for him to escape. He had to get out of here. It was either be destroyed by Slade or be pounded to death by Robin's parents. He made a split second decision, he opened the portal.

But before he could step through the portal, he was tackled into it by John and Mary. They continued to pound him as he struggled to break their grasp. The portal was opening. It was back to the future for him.

* * *

_The alarm suddenly blared as Robin stared at Starfire. "Emergency!" he shouted. They prepared to leave. "Warp's been spotted downtown." _

_They charged downtown until they came to the intersection. Robin looked up as Warp was being chased by two people. A man and a woman; they tackled him to the pavement as the man rained blows down on his head. _

_"John, John, STOP!" the woman shouted. _

_"No! He tried to kill Dick!" John shouted. "Mary, don't get in my way!" Robin could only stare at them in shock. John. Mary. Those were his parents' names! _

_The woman tried unsuccessfully to pull the man off Warp. "John, don't kill him! We need him to talk."_

_"Yeah, but this'll make up for what Zucco's boys did to me earlier this afternoon."_

_'It couldn't be them,' he thought. 'Could it?' He moved closer as they came into view. The Titans were staring and Robin could barely believe his eyes… _


	2. Chapter One: Arrivals and Introductions

**Chapter One: Arrivals and Introductions **

"John, John, _STOP IT!_ You're going to kill him!" Mary Grayson shouted as he tried to pull her furiously angry husband off a screaming Warp. he struggled in her grasp, trying to strike Warp again as Warp wormed his way away from his reach.

"Get him away from me, he's crazy!" Warp wailed as the Titans charged in. They came to a dead halt and watched the scene unfolding before them in shocked confusion.

"Whoa, Mister, what'd you do to his face?" Beast Boy asked. John was breathing hard and gave no reply as he kept trying to get close enough to Warp so she could beat the tar out of him. Cyborg was going to prepare his Sonic Cannon, but stopped and stared wide eyed at what was going on.

"Let go of me Mary, I'm gonna kill him!" John screamed as he struggled harder to break lose. "Where are we? What have you done to us!"

"You've messed up my plans; that's what you get when you mess with my vortex regulator!" Warp snapped. "Not that it'll make much of a difference, you'll still end up dead anyway!"

He broke his wife's grip and flew at Warp in a fury. He began punching him so hard it looked to Robin as if he might break his wrists. He had been watching in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he found his voice. "Dad, Dad, stop it!" He rushed over to him and gently grabbed his wrists, trying to stop him.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he stopped pounding Warp's face. He slumped down into an unconscious heap on the pavement. He stopped, and slowly turned his attention to Robin. His voice came out in ragged breaths as he tried to speak. "R-R-Richard, Little Robin, is that you?"

"This man, he is your Father?" Starfire asked, voicing the shock of the other Titans beside her. They were just as astonished and confused as she was. What was going on?

"Yeah Dad, it's me," Robin replied quietly.

A woman stepped forward, and smiled. "Hello, Dick," she said. To the astonishment of the others, he pulled her into a powerful hug. she returned it, slight smile on her face.

"Richard, ease up; your poor Mother can't breathe!" She said in a wheezing laugh. He let go with a sheepish look on his face.

Beast Boy was the first to speak. "Dude that was like…a Starfire hug!"

His mother dusted herself off and stood to her feet. "Well, look at you!" she exclaimed, taking in his figure, looking him up and down. "You've gotten taller." Cyborg laughed as Robin blushed bright red. "You sure sprouted, eh?" Mary laughed.

"She calls you Little Robin?" he asked, chuckling, "how cute!"

"Knock it off, Cyborg," Robin growled.

"Aw, have I embarrassed you or something?" Mary asked.

"No, no Mom, I'm fine," Robin replied.

"So, where are we son?" the man asked. "I don't recognize this place."

"Where were you when he entered the portal?" Robin asked.

"We were in Gotham, preparing for the show tomorrow," John said. "What's that look for?" John asked. You look disturbed."

"Nothing, Dad; it's nothing." Robin replied. "Oh, you're not in Gotham anymore," he added.

"Well, where are we?" Mary asked.

" Jump City," Robin replied.

"What's the date today?" Mary asked; a smile on her face and an eyebrow raised, the others noticed the mischievous look on her face.

"It's March 20th, 2005," Robin replied.

"What?" Mary asked. "What do you mean its 2005? What happened? What'd that guy do to us? It was 1999 yesterday!"

"He brought you to the future," Robin explained. "His name is Warp and he has the ability to time travel."

"So that's why you guys are all freaked out!" Beast Boy said. "Okay, that explains something."

"So that would make you," John began counting on his fingers, "nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, Holy cow, you're sweet sixteen today!"

"Dude, it's your birthday, _and you didn't tell us!_" Beast Boy shouted. Starfire was shocked, so were the others. Why had he kept this from them?

"He's sixteen," Mary breathed. "Ah! I don't know how to raise teenagers; I can barely handle being married!" The others laughed aloud at her comment. John hugged her.

"Well you've done pretty well so far," John looked at his son. "So, Dick who are these people, friends of yours?"

Robin turned to his friends. "Titans, meet my parents, John and Mary Grayson." Robin turned back to his friends, "Mom, Dad, this is Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire and Raven. We are the Teen Titans," he looked at his Dad and added, "Don't call me Dick, please."

"So that's what he meant!" Mary exclaimed. "It's all starting to make sense now."

"What makes sense?" Robin asked. "Mom, what's going on?"

"That man tried to kill you," Mary explained. "We don't know where he came from. He said when you died, the 'Teen Titans' would be no more."

"He came from our time," Starfire said. "Why would he kill Friend Robin?" she asked.

"I wasn't Robin back then," Robin said in a low voice.

The Titans stared at him, he wasn't Robin back then? What was _that _supposed to mean? Mary could see he didn't want to talk about it, so she decided to change the subject. Before she could, Beast Boy interrupted.

"Wait a second, your name is Dick?" Beast Boy asked; confused. "I thought your name was Robin!"

"Another story for another time, Robin said tersely. "I'll explain it all later."

"So this is the future, eh? Not bad, not bad at all." Mary looked at him. "Could you show us around?"

"Sure Mom," Robin twitched a smile. "Let's get Warp off to jail; then let me show you guys around." They quickly carted Warp to the jail and then Robin took them out on the town.

The Titans were very surprised by his behavior. They had never seen him act this way around adults. Sure, he was kind, polite, and well mannered, but this was different. These people were his parents, so they claimed and he affirmed it. Starfire was puzzled more than the others. She realized she knew very little of Robin's past. He had never talked about his parents at all. And now to have them here in the future from the past raised more questions in her mind about who he really was.

For three hours he showed them all there was to see in Jump City. Starfire was growing more and more impressed by him every minute. He had an excellent memory and a vast knowledge of the city. His parents walked beside him, quietly taking it all in. When they were finished, Robin stopped. "Well, guys, what'd you say we go home now?"

"That's fine with me," Cyborg said, "Besides, the Tower needs lockdown anyway?"

"You live in a _Tower_?" John asked. "Sweet Mother of Pearl, I'm jealous!" he laughed. Mary smacked him in the head. "Mary, knock it off, it's just a joke!" he rubbed his head. "That hurts!"

"You want me to kiss it and make it go away?" Mary asked, winking.

"Of course," John chortled, pulling his wife into his arms, he kissed her, hard. Robin's blush was so bright red that Cyborg and Beast Boy burst out laughing.

"Dude, they make out in public!" he slapped Robin on the back. "Your parents totally rock!"

"Shut up Beast Boy! I'm embarrassed enough as it is!" John pulled away. Mary, seeing her son's face, blushed almost as bright red as he did.

"Sorry, Little Robin," Mary laughed. "Couldn't help it."

"How many times have you said that?" Robin asked through gritted teeth. His friends couldn't help but laugh at him. Their family dynamic was just too funny.

"Yo Rob, we hardly know 'em and we love 'em already!" Cyborg smiled. "Come on y'all; let's get home so your parents can see your room."

"My room…" he let his voice trail off. "Yeah, we should get home; I'll need all the strength I can get to face Slade tomorrow."

"Slade?" John asked. "Who is Slade?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Robin said quietly. Mary looked at him. There was something, she couldn't quite place her finger on it. _'He's hiding something from me,' _she thought. _'What is it?'_ She said nothing as she followed his friends to Titans Tower.

John let out a low whistle. "Nice, very nice; now I'm _really _jealous." Mary gave him a dirty look. "What was that for?"

She didn't answer him. Mary simply stared in silence at Titans Tower. "So you five live here all by yourselves?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Cyborg replied.

"Please, call me Mary," she gave Cyborg a warm smile. He too, noticed that Robin was grinning at her as well. He realized he had his mother's smile. He realized, like Starfire, that they knew very little about their leader's past life. Now he wanted to find out.

"Come on y'all, let's go inside." They all entered Titans tower. Raven followed them, keeping a neutral look on her face.

Raven had been silent the entire time. She knew, vaguely, what he was hiding from his friends and his parents. She had been inside his mind and had seen something horrible. She knew from what she saw in his mind that his parents were dead. How would he tell them? How would he tell his friends? She would have to ask him later, but with his parents with him in the future, their present; it seemed to reinvigorate him in a way she had never seen. He wasn't just Robin anymore. He was someone else and she had no idea who he was. Hiding behind the mask, he hid his soul from them.

Starfire stopped Raven as the others went into the house. "Why has he not told us these things?" she asked.

"I don't know, Star," Raven replied. "I'm sure we'll find out soon."

"He has never hidden things from us before, except of course, the Red X incident."

"How do we know that was the only thing he's hidden from us?" Raven asked. "He's never said anything about his parents to us before."

"That is true Raven, now I wonder _who _is Robin? Who was he before he met us?"

"I don't know," Raven replied. "Like I said, I'm sure we'll find out."

"I hope so," Starfire said simply. "But I still wonder who he really is." She smiled. "Come, Friend Raven, we should go inside."

They walked inside Titans Tower, to their enigmatic leader who was shrouded in continual mystery. They both wanted answers, and they hoped he would give them some. Robin's life was a mysterious puzzle, and the Titans were going to put the pieces together.


	3. Chapter Two: Indecision can be Lethal

**Chapter Two: Indecision Can Be Lethal**

_**Quick Sticky:**_

_I'm sorry to say this but...this will be my only update for the weekend because I have to take the ACT on Saturday, evil tests, I have enough of them at school! So I probably won't get anything else up till Saturday night or Sunday, I just wanted to tell you guys!_

_I am **NOT** a Rae/Rob shipper! This is about them as **friends **not as a romantic **couple!** The way they interact is interesting, I'm just not gung-ho about 'shipping. The line about the robin landing on the windowsill of the hospital when Robin was born is my idea, by the way._

_

* * *

_

_"Be a shame if somethin' happened to them, y'know them with them being way up there, and the ground bein' way down here." Young Dick Grayson hid in a dark area eavesdropping on a conversation between Pops Haley and Anthony 'Tony' Zucco, a Gotham Mobster. _

_"Is that a threat, Zucco?" Pops Haley demanded._

_"Maybe, it is, Pops, maybe it is," Tony's voice was low and threatening._

_"Don't you dare call me Pops, you overgrown bag of wind! I'm not gonna sit here and take your crap. If you don't get off my property Zucco, I'll call the cops on you and you're not going to do **anything **to the Graysons or anyone else!"_

_"Watch your mouth, old man!" Zucco's voice shouted back angrily. _

_"Get out! Get out of here!" Pop's voice rang with rage as Dick Grayson watched the scene from a hiding place within the curtains of a nearby tent. He saw Zucco come storming out, hatred etched into his features. _

_"You're going to pay, old man. Be a shame if somethin' happened to them, y'know them with them being way up there, and the ground bein' way down here." A hideous expression on his face, "it's a shame, really, but I warned him."_

_Dick Grayson was shaking with fear. What was he to do? Who could he talk to? Who would believe him? He didn't know what to do. He was too confused and afraid to make a decision. And indecision was lethal. _

He was thinking, thinking about the words that haunted his darkest nightmares. He had been too slow. Too afraid to say anything; his silence had cost his parents their lives. Richard Grayson, Little Robin stared at his reflection in his bathroom mirror. He sighed. What was he to do? How could he tell them what would happen? Would they believe him? He turned to leave the room. He knew he had to do something, tell them something. Explain what was going on. But who could he talk to?

"Hey Robin, you alright?" a voice asked him. He brought his mind back to the present. It was Raven and she was looking at him. There was something he wasn't telling her. She vaguely knew it was something about his parents. She knew that they had died but that was all.

"It's hard to explain Raven," he replied.

"So start explaining Robin, why didn't you tell us about your parents?"

"It's a very painful subject for me," he replied.

"You seem very happy that they're here."

"I am. I have always wanted them to see me as I am now." Robin looked at her intently. "Can we go up on the roof? I would like to discuss this in private."

"Sure," Raven followed Robin up onto the roof and when the door was shut, Robin sighed. "Start talking Robin. I want to know about your parents. We don't know much about you as it is."

"I know, I know; and I have my own reasons for not telling any of you," Robin said. "Where should I begin?"

"Let's start with the basics. What's your real name?" Raven asked. It was a start to unravel the enigmatic puzzle that was Robin.

"My name…is Richard 'Dick' Grayson," he replied with a smile.

"So why do you call yourself Robin?"

"Today's my birthday. The first day of spring; my mother, Mary Grayson, whom you met called me Little Robin since I was five. It was a sign of her affection. She says she saw a robin land on the windowsill of the hospital room when I was born. She called me Little Robin because I reminded her of spring, and all the joy I gave her and dad.

"We were acrobats at Haley's Circus. We were doing a show in Gotham. I'm sure you've heard a lot about Gotham."

"I've hard of it," Raven said. "Very famous place, I know Bruce Wayne lives there."

"Funny you should mention Bruce Wayne." Robin smiled. "I wonder if I should bring him into this."

"Why would you do that?" Raven asked.

"Bruce has been my guardian, my father since my parents died." He looked up at the stars.

"He seems like a very kind man," Raven said quietly.

"Yes, he is kind. But he is more than that. He gave me a purpose, a reason to live. He gave me something to stand for. He is more than just Bruce Wayne. He is known as the Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader…"

"You mean he is….?" Raven asked in awe.

Yes, Raven. He is the Batman. He brought me into his home, dried my tears and relieved me of my nightmares and the dreams that haunted my mind. He made me who I am. He made me Robin."

"Why did you keep all of this from us?" Raven asked.

"I'm surprised you didn't know already. I've had a reputation as his sidekick." Robin laughed. "Anyway, I left him and started the Teen Titans."

"Why did you leave him?" Raven asked quietly.

"It was after an encounter with the Joker. I was hurt, although it wasn't too serious, I had a feeling it could get worse. He told me I couldn't be Robin anymore. He said that I should stop, for my own safety; I didn't want to hear it. I wouldn't listen to him. I told him if he wanted Robin to stay dead, then that was fine with me. My last words to him before I left were, 'You can't keep me from pursuing my destiny.' We didn't part under the best of circumstances, but we still have a mutual relationship, if you could call it that."

"I see. So this 'mutual' relationship, he supports your founding of the Teen Titans?"

"In a way, yes; he supports the Titans. He keeps my equipment, my technology, freeze disks, electric disks, Bird-a-Rangs in constant supply. But he never gives personal aid, just financial."

"When are you going to tell your parents…about what happened to them?"

"I don't know, Raven. It's a very hard thing, telling the people you love more than anything in the world that they're dead."

"You can't hide the truth forever. I saw inside your mind. I'm the only one in the Titans who knows about them."

"I know. It's something I'm dreading the moment that I have to tell them. I might have a nervous breakdown."

"You'll be fine Robin, but you have to tell them sooner or later."

"Yes, sooner rather than later. I can't keep the truth from them forever. No one could ever lie to my mom. I just don't know if I'll have enough strength to do it."

"I don't know about that. But I met your mother, and from what I've seen of her, I know you inherit many traits from your mother, her inner strength as well as her insanity."

Robin laughed. "Her insanity! Yeah, people at Haley's always said she wasn't quite all there."

Raven gave him a slight smile. "You saw the way she about pounded Warp half to death. I know that you're a lot like her. It's kind of obvious, you know."

"Yeah, my mom and I were very close."

"I can tell."

"We best be getting back inside. They're probably wondering where we are." They both walked back inside Titans Tower. He knew he would have to tell them. Indecision was lethal.

* * *

"You get one phone call Warp, if I was you, I'd call a good lawyer," the officer said, handing Warp a quarter.

Warp took the quarter and shoved it into the pay phone. He quickly dialed the number. "Sir," he said hesitantly. "The mission has failed."

"Isn't that obvious?" Slade's voice rang cold and hard in reply. "The Titans still exist, and Robin hasn't been destroyed!"

"I know Sir," Warp choked an answer. "Things have now become much more complicated."

"Complicated?" Slade asked. "What do you mean the situation is more complicated?"

"The boy's parents, they have followed me to the future," Warp replied.

"Hmm…followed you to the future," Slade was silent for a moment. "This may be a good thing."

"A good thing…Have I failed you, Sir?"

"Actually, you did quite well. I didn't actually expect for you to succeed. You are merely a means to an end. And you have actually given me a weapon to use against him."

"A weapon?"

"Yes, his parents will be his undoing."

"Thank you, Sir," Warp replied, grateful.

"Think nothing of it. Do not feel bad about your current situation. Things will work better than I had originally planned." He hung up the phone and Warp followed suit.

Slade smiled, his right eye gleamed white in the darkness. "So the boy's parents are here in our time. Good. I will use them to break him."


End file.
